ARHUS, Denmark – In a bid to make wastewater treatment cheaper and more efficient, Danish utility Aarhus Vand has teamed up with Blue Ocean Robotics to identify how robot technology can be used across its infrastructure.
The aim is to investigate how the work environment, productivity and resource utilization can be improved in the wastewater industry - not only in Denmark but also globally.
Two areas that have been identified so far include drone technology for the inspection of wastewater basins and sewage systems, as well as robotics for the maintenance of outdoor areas at wastewater treatment plants
Blue Ocean Robotics said that employees are at “risk of being exposed to pathogenic bacteria when they are in contact with different surfaces, water, and sludge” and that “employees at Aarhus Vand have a great interest in working with technology that can make their everyday lives more efficient and healthier”.
One the sites being looked at first is the Marselisborg ReWater wastewater treatment plant, which has made headlines around the world recently for becoming world’s most resource efficient wastewater treatment project.
As part of the “RoBi-X partnership” partnership between the two companies to “identify unexplored areas and work processes in wastewater treatment and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants, where robots can create an increased value”.
The utility has already said that robotic technology can be used for the inspection of wastewater basins and sewer systems.
Karsten Lumbye Jensen, innovation manager at Aarhus Vand, said: “Due to the strong population growth in metropolitan areas, we need to consider sustainability and create disruptive technology - also in the wastewater industry. Ahead of us lie big challenges such as climate change and lack of resources, and therefore we need to carefully consider how we can do things differently with the help of innovation and new technology. In the partnership with Blue Ocean Robotics, we have merged robotic technology and sustainability which has resulted in new and exciting perspectives that also have an export potential. The know-how and products we develop in Aarhus will definitely be applicable in other parts of the world.”
Claus Risager, CEO of Blue Ocean Robotics, added: “The wastewater industry is an industry where robot technology has had little impact so far. In collaboration with Aarhus Vand, we will develop innovative solutions for efficient operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants. Our RoBi-X partnership model provides a great starting point for the development of new scalable solutions for the wastewater industry, where innovation and end users are in focus.”
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